Disconnect From Technology at Camp Press September 23-24 in Seminole, OK

Readers may remember in 2015, we highlighted Camp Press, a conference devoted to disconnecting from technology to focus on strengthening bonds that encourage collaboration within the community.

Mendel Kurland, who has spent the better part of two years organizing the event, announced that Camp Press will take place September 23-24, at Fry Lake in Seminole, OK. The event is a collaboration between Kurland, Aaron D. Campbell, and Christen Campbell

Accommodations include tents, cabins, and RV hookups. Camp Press will take place on Camp Campbell, a plot of land owned by Campbell and his wife. Available activities include hiking, Geo-Caching, swimming, canoeing, fishing, sports, and more.

A Lake Where Attendees Can Chill Out

“Many of us spend a lot of time online, but it’s the time we spend offline and disconnected one-on-one that’s often most important,” Kurland said.

“Those one-on-one connections create lifelong bonds that lead to building better businesses, partnerships, and strategy. Camp Press is about fortifying those in-person bonds.”

Kurland chose to host the event at Camp Campbell based on its size, number of available activities, and its remoteness.

“It’s centrally located in the US, and remote enough to achieve the goal of disconnection. Additionally, Aaron’s family is pretty great too as it’s their land.”

The nearest major airport is an hour away in Oklahoma City so renting a vehicle is recommended. Alternatively, attendees can coordinate rides through the #camp-press-rides channel on the Geek Adventures Slack team. Invitations to join the Slack group are emailed after registering for the event.

There is internet connectivity on the property, but it’s for emergencies and can only be used by staff. There are places in and around the Camp Press area for those who need to check-in with family.

General admission tickets to attend the event are $100 each but if you purchase them before April 14th, they’re $85. There are also tickets available for reserved cabins for 10 people, a shared cabin, and RV hookups.

General admission tickets include the following amenities:

Free tent camping

Other camping options with add-on (if available)

Full Camp Press event + service day (starting Thursday)

Event t-shirt

Cooking utensils

Fire starting supplies

Field and water activities

Arts and crafts supplies

Daily ice service

Kurland wants the event to maintain a brand-free feeling and is asking for sponsors to adhere to a set of atypical guidelines. The guidelines state that sponsors may not wear branded gear and that advertising must be hand-made on-site.

“We realize these guidelines aren’t for everyone, but we’re looking for creativity rather than corporate branding for these sponsorships,” Kurland said.

Sponsorship levels range from $1,500 to $3,000 and offer various perks.

Those interested in attending are encouraged to review the event’s Code of Conduct, which is unique compared to an event held in a physical building. For example, it has a guideline for leaving no trace:

Our community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them.

You don’t have to be involved with WordPress to attend the event. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the official Camp Press site.